Method of feeding films.



W. M. THOMAS.- Mnnou or FEEDING mms.

APPLICATION FILED HOV. i8. I915.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

5] now Hop satisfactory results; it is also onset the State-of New York, have inventedi Improvements inwMethods o UNITED sT iT s PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS, or new Yonx, N, Y'., ASSIGNOR, BY mnsnn AssmiiMnN'rs'To rnomsonnnxmcn COMPANY, LIMITED, or NEW YORK, N.' Y., a CORBORATION 01' NEW YOBLK.

Toall'whom z'tmdy c'ozwcm:

- Be" it known thflUL'WILLIAM M. THOMAS, a, citiz'enoftthe United States,.residing at New. York, in the county of Iflew lYork anal W an 1lms,";which the -following is a specifiegion; I D f I This inventionzrelates to methods of interlo gnitten tly feedin' picture strip film.

- movement, avoidance of wear upon the film,

The objects .0 the inventionificludo an a increase in speed of the film movement,-.a reduction in vibration due to intermittent film and the elimination of complex mechanism. Referring to the drawings: Figure Lisa diagrammatic'yiewrepresenting the position of. the film immediately before it is advanced a unit distance;

Fig. 2' isa 'similar dia ammatic view sh'owingthe film after its a vance; Fig. 3 is a new, I A showin mechanism or; carrying out the metho shown in Figs l and 2; and

Figs. 4 5 v and Gare partly diagrammaticviewszshdwing various modifications, in the method of fieedingithe film.

A high speed-film movement of the greatest Under methods heretofore adopted, the movement of the is compara'tiwel slow and is for various reasons unavoi ably so. In projection work this slowness results in loss of light upon the screen, and in the case of pictures projected for scientific analysis of motion, it gives 'un gmgtestwobstacles to the photography and PIOJBOtlOD of moving pictures in,colo'r.

In common projection at the rate. o;,f 16' shutter so operating .is so disagreeable that flicker blades, or additional shutters are added. to reduce the flicker, but while the result is greatly improved, they cause a further loss of light uponthe screenwhich totals up to about fifty per cent.

In the projection of pictures for the analysis of motion as in the illustration; ofsurgical operations, it is necessary at times to feed the pictures very slowly to show the motion in full detail. At the ratio of pic-' ture time to shutter time is usually 5 or 6 to 1 i Specification o1 llletters Patent.

.. Eeding' artly diagrammatic,

- (if! es the -ergy similar to a compressednln'rnon or rnEDmsmLMs.

Patented Oct. so, 191:.

Application filed November 1 8,1915. Serial menu.

and the ratio remains constant, for all speeds of opcration','it is obvious that the cuLting otf of light by the, shutter forms a disagreeable and annoyin'g interruption to the succession of plcturcs, when the speed of the machine is lowered. This feature is soobjectionuble as to destroy 1n great'part the value of pro jectors for this service.

In color Work, the number of exposures per second is'i'ncreased from 16 to 32 or to 48,

and the amount of exposure for'each picture becomes so small that this art has made but slow progress. Y g

Under methods heretofore adopted for moving the'film, vibration-is a great evil. Whether the Genevastop, or intermittent sprocket be used, or the intermittent grip, or-th' e film-beater method, 111 621011 case inter-. mittentmechanism of' consi derable weight and having considerable movement is neces: r 0 ractice of mounting prqectors upon -p'ede ls'. weigh sary, and this gives rise to-the i'ng hundreds-of. pounds, and also act's to refoper'ative speed and efiiciency' of 'cameras.

I The wear upon the film is .6150 a" serious item. In the ,faster tYPQSTOfiI ltGImlQtBIlt mechanism now used, the wearupon'the film is very great, and these machines abandoned in many cases for the slower types of mechanism in order to reduce the excessive wear upon thefil'm.

My improved method givesto the film an exceedingly high speed; there is lessened vibration, as intermittent sprockets, grips or film-heaters are eliminated; and there is hut, little, wear upon the film.

Thi new method consists mainly in utilizing'the resilience of the-film, reinforced if 'desiredfstoring up power therein -t.o ad- Vance itself a unit distance. InjFi'gn 1 the Qfilm is indicated art-'10,- the light aperture-or pressed. at ,and

gate at 11. the him be in thedirection' of the ar'row,12 against the gate andthe film seized at'thezarrows' 13,113

and moved rl owni v ard, sloop 14 Willlke ve been formed; as indicated inthe figure. Owing to the inherent resilience of the film, thisfloop or bent portion of the'filmis under e compressive stress in" the direction of its length and has a certain amount ofstoredu -en ring. pon

withdrawing the pressure offljresistance at 12', as shown -in Fig.3 2, the. 109p w ll straighten out, and the energy} stored therein film is mechanically will cause the film to move downward through the gate the unit distance. This movement is very rapid.

A mechanism carryin continuously moving sprocket :feed drum and 16 an intermittently operable clamping device that clamps the film periodically between itself and the wall of the gate. The movements of the sprocket drum 15 and the clamping device 16 are so related that the excess film forming the loop 17 is e Hill in amount to the unit distance of the lm to be advanced.

In Fig. 4, a mechanism is disclosed in which a double loop 18, 19 is formed between the plates 20, 21. The operation is the same as t differing in that an increased-speed or the film is obtained. 1

In Fig. 5, the mechanism is similar to that shown in Fig. 3, except that the resilience of the -film is' reinforced by light leaf springs, one of whichis shown at 22, bearin upon the borders of the fi'lm..

n Fig. 6, a pneumatic device is shown b which the resilience of the film is increase 26 is exhausted, causing more or less excess pressure upon the convex side of the loop and there y increasing the oompremive stress in the direction of the length of the film. As' the loop straightens out the suction is relieved.

Under -methods heretofore adopted, the

gripped at its perforated edges and is a anced by means of the perforations. The power is necessarily ;.=.termittentl moving masses of considerable .-weight an extent of motion. Theyhavebeen necessary as the applied suddenly-to the perforations and the filmvis often torn apart by thi'ssudden'application of force to a relatively small and weak-r art of the fihn. In my improvedmetho the energy is gradually stored in the film by deformihgthefilm into a bent loop,

which is under a spring compression, and when the stress in the l filmadvances the required distance under stored energy operating upon the whole body of the loop.- This distribution of thedriving power throughout the entire body oftheadvancing film eliminates all tearing of the film and the greatest part of the Zwfiar. I

The previous methods further require inower to move the film is transmitted through them to the film. In my improved method there is no interout this method is at already described, this arran ement' ing the-film at a'given point to m is relieved the lievin the film of stress.

small light clamp 16 which does not have 'to transmit the power to. move the film, but operates only to offer and withdraw resistindicated in Fig. 3 in w ich 15 represents 'a ance to the forward movement of the film and to clamp the picture inthe gate during a succession of pictures thrown' 1. The method of intermittently feedingpicturestrip film which consists in clamprevent movement of the film at that point, simultaneously moving the film forward in' the di rection of the clam'ped portion, thereby subjecting the intermediate portion of the film to a compressive stress in the direction of its length and then unclamping the film to permit said stress to advancethe film forward a unit distance.

' 2: The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists in clamping the film at a'given point to revent movement of the film at that point, simulta'neously forming a loop behind the clamped portiona-nd unclampiiig the film to allow the loop tostraighten and to advance the film'forward a unit, distance. I

3."1 he method of-intemiittently feeding picture stri film .which consistsin moviii a portion o the'film, continuously and positively in a forward direction and creating therein a stress suflicient to advance the film,

and intermittently ofieringand withdraw-' ing a resistance to the forwardmovemento another portion of the film. M

' 4 .The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists iii'moving aportion-of the film continuously against a resistanceofiered to the movement of ing film, and 'ihtermittentlywithdrawing a. unit" distance. 1.

mitte'ntly forming a stress in the filmby its forced advance movement, and feeding the film a unit distance by 6. i he method of intermittently feeding picture strip fi1m.which consists in intermitr film, whereby energy is stored in the admin:

' 1 5 ';'The method of. intermittently feeding picture strip. film whic'l'ii-zconsists in interintermittently retently forming a stress in the-film by its con tinuoiis forced advance movement, and feeding 'the film intermittently a unit distance by intermittently relieving the film of stress.

7. The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists in storlng u p cner y in the film by deformation of the ii In ant then utilizing the said energy toadvence the film a unit distance 8. The method of intermittently feeding picture strip up energy in the film by the springing or bending of the film, and then permitting said energy to advance, the film a. unit distance.

.9. The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists in applying a compressive force to the film whereby ener is stored in the film, in the direction of its length and then causin the said force to advance the film in the irection of its length a unit distance.

10. The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists in forming a. loop between the light aperture and the feeding drum and causing the loop to store up energy and to increase and decrease periodically foreach individual picture, and causing the stored. energy to advance the film a unit distance.

11. The method of intermittently feeding picture strip film which consists in storing film which consists in storing,

energy'in a resilient filmiand intermittently using said energy to move the film whereby econtinuous movement of a portion of the film is converted into an intermittent movement for another portion of the film.

12. The met of intennitteutly feeding a ortion of 3" lm which consists-in periodica 1y holding] a, ortion of the film stationary; then forcih y feeding a ed'aeent portion of the film in the direct 'On 0 its len h a distance sufiicient to accumulate usurp us of film equal to the dittance the film isto be fed forward; storingener during the w cumulation of the-said su rp us length of the film; and then releasing" the portion 'held and rmitting the storedleii ergy to feed said eld portion forward toitake upthe surplusage accumulated-as 13;The method of inten'rntten {feeding a moving picture film which consists m holding a portion of'the film stationary; forming a loop adjacent the stations pot-j tion; storin up energy during the m tion of said 00 then releasing thestationary portion an causing theenergy stored to move the said stationary portion forward .a predetermined M. THOMAS 

